At the time, we all figured it would be a nice way for Martin to read books while serving in the Peace Corps Nicaragua on the Caribbean coast. But what we didn’t know at the time was exactly how indispensable it would be to him as he lived in a town so small that it barely has a Wikipedia entry. It turns out that this little, relatively cheap device has been a godsend for him in 2012, with its worldwide 3G Internet. Even though Martin lives in a remote area, I hear from him nearly every day by e-mail.

"Most of my e-mails I write on my Kindle," he told me recently (by cell phone this time). "I use it to stay in touch with friends, even [through] Facebook. The Kindle’s not fantastic by any means, but I can read my e-mail reliably. It loads within a minute. Even with a 3G [USB modem] stick, [service] came in and out—I gave the modem away."

Sure, the Kindle’s browser is a bit kludgy. In fact, it’s hidden away under its "Experimental" features. It can’t open more than one tab at a time, and you can forget about attachments. Any online heavy-lifting requires Martin to pop down to the local Internet café, which is subject to its own power and Internet outages from time to time. He can’t even accept an Amazon e-book I sent him—he has to click a link from within his e-mail, and again, the browser can’t handle opening new links. (Editor's note: C’mon Amazon! Shouldn’t I be able to send e-books directly to his Kindle?)

But as any Kindle-owner will tell you, its worldwide 3G access is valuable. Perhaps even more importantly, the battery life is great. This can be hugely important in its own right when living in a part of the world subject to power outages, or while on the road, where power plugs may be few and far between.

"Usually I go two or two-and-a-half days (without charging it), sometimes three days if I’m not going crazy on it," Martin added. "The battery is pretty respectable."

In these ways, the Kindle helps Martin with the fundamental problem of staying wired while in a remote area. There are essentially two main issues that you have to deal with in these situations—electrical power and data connection. The latter may be rapidly improving throughout the world, but either can rear its head at almost any point.

After consulting with Martin, as well as a number of other savvy travelers who spend much of their time bouncing between worksites and WiFi hotspots in remote areas of the world, we’ve come up with a short list of small items designed to keep you powered and connected without breaking your wallet (or your already overloaded backpack). Sure, your goal in traveling may be to get away from the always-on lifestyle—but there are those of us that choose to stay connected, or have to because of our chosen professions.

With that in mind, we bring you 10 items that will make your time out in the bush a little bit more bearable. And we didn't select just any 10 items. If you find yourself acquiring everything on this Ars list, you'll spend under $500 (even less if you get an external battery instead of Item No. 2).

The only stipulation we used when compiling: we’re assuming readers are going to bring at least an unlocked 3G smartphone on their travels. You're versed on swapping SIMs to get the best mobile data rate when you get to a new country, right? That iPhone or Android handset can create an invaluable WiFi hotspot for your tablet or laptop after all.

Enlarge/ Voltaic makes rugged, portable solar panels designed to fit over any pack.

Hannu Makarainen

Power, power, everywhere

Beyond the Kindle (Item No. 1—$140), let’s move on to the most important item on the list: power! Sure, you may run into a rural charging station running off of a car battery, but what if you find yourself on a long cross-country bus trip for the bulk of a day?

Enter the Voltaic OffGrid Solar Backpack(Item No. 2—$230), which is almost twice as costly as the Kindle 3G. As the name suggests, this backpack can charge your devices while you walk around. It sports a pair of 2W solar panels, which the company says are "waterproof, lightweight, and built to withstand abuse." These can output 6 or 12 Volts (depending on the selected application). Translated for those of us who aren’t electrical engineers, that means about four to five hours to fully charge a phone, but with a noticeable boost after an hour or two.

The backpack also has a built-in (and removable) battery that can store 3,000mAh of power from the solar panels, or be plugged into AC or DC power, then discharge it via a USB cable. Voltaic even offers discounts for Peace Corps volunteers. If you don’t want to buy a whole backpack, you can get the V11 USB Battery Pack and a two watt solar panel for just $60—similar to the Mophie JuicePack ($80), which our own Jacqui Cheng swore by earlier this summer.

"The utility of having a solar backpack became even more clear to me when, in December 2007, I was stuck in Eldoret, one of the flash points of post-election violence," wrote Juliana Rotich, a Senior TED Fellow and the executive director of Ushahidi, in an e-mail to Ars.

"I had no access to electricity where I was staying and was very dependent on my smartphone to get online and get news," she added. "With a 5V output, I was able to not only charge my own phone, but also the phones of my family members. It was invaluable, and I still travel with my Voltaic backpack whenever I go to the Kenyan countryside."

113 Reader Comments

Not going to argue what 'off the grid' means to different people but if it means having random access to network and power (as this article seems to imply) then you are definitely talking about the wrong items.

2 W solar charger and that backpack for $230? You definitely need another backpack and solar charger for anything useful. Well, any hiker can come up with a better one with compartments etc. but you really need a more reliable solar charger.

When talking about rugged designed solar chargers there is really only one on my list. The Solar JOOS with 18 W worth of solar panels and built-in 5,400mAh (20Wh) LiPo battery. It is 100% water proof, can be submerged in water and has a NEMA 6P enclosure rating. It even works when it is cloudy. It will only set you back $149 ($99 if you preordered) - http://solarjoos.com (only downside is that it outputs via USB only!).

Now, another way to get clean water, something to eat and power is the BioLite CampStove that goes for $129. The downside again, is that it outputs over USB but get a USB battery charger for ordinary AA or AAA if you need and you should be good to go. It also burns clean - http://biolitestove.com/campstove

Multi-tool or knife? Even the venerable Trangia stove should get a mention.

Yes,plus there's the old saying that the first thing you need outdoors is a survival knife.. which is a form of 'tech' which coincidentally is best for 'jungles' and living 'off the grid'. Yet,not a single mention of that (or at the very least a multi-tool) is in the article that purports to be a guide of sorts for tech in the outdoors. Or a fuel-pellet stove (another essential for the yuppie/hipster going off the grid)

grendelmk1 wrote:

bk109 wrote:

@Grendel Ah,cool. And by the way - why clear deadfalls with a chainsaw when you can have so much more fun using a jeep and a heavy-duty winch

Because I'm on a motorcycle. Packing a brush saw is reasonable, (I could easily strap a 14" husky to my right case) a winch isn't

Ah,that changes thins a bit XD I'm using an old Soviet Warhorse(a strengthened UAZ-469) for trips to nature,so lugging around some gear is somewhat easier (though it's limited enough to walk on with all of it on me). Still,I think the closest I have to a brush saw is the KA-BAR knife + machete I keep handy in the map compartment

Ars has been going in the apple fansite direction with corresponding drop in quality and dumbing down of articles. You should write up something and post here since you obviously do have the experience while most of us don't even think about such things (I had no idea that a thing like Spot even existed).

Umm, Ax, do you realise who you're asking this of?

Now, I'm not willing to paint Ars with the Apple Fanboi brush, but I'll for damn sure call out the schmuck that wrote this for not bothering to find someone to ask what it looks like when you're trying to use your hardware someplace unusual.

Bet he doesn't know that Spot has a (very expensive) model that's a satcomms hotspot for anything you care to tether to it, meaning you can make your Iphone , Android or whatever into a satphone in one easy but expensive step. Hell, my base-model Spot is able to transmit position updates to Google maps every 10 minutes if I happen to decide it's worth the energy budget, and it's got a "mail" button that's basically a 1-bit trigger that makes the Spot service send a predefined message to whoever you like. Oh, and they sell an insurance policy for places that don't have regular rescue services, draw your own conclusions from that one.

And that's just one piece of hardware. I'm betting there's a whole world of crap I've never seen that a motivated civilian could get ahold of, too.

Ofc I know Didn't expect you to do it but it was worth a shot since you know a lot about it. Can't be worse than this article anyway.

I think I'll check out the basic spot. Having emergency service sounds like something that might come in handy. Perhaps not ATM since it's fairly well populated here but good to know about.

You're in Germany, aren't you? I'm in Soviet Canuckistan, land of the vast expanse of, umm, vastness. With mountains to fuck up your LOS to the nearest tower Though, I guess you're bordering on some pretty epic rough stuff there, too.

Something to be said for a satellite panic button, no matter where you live.

And now, bed

Assuming ^ was aimed at me Actually,no - Ireland,BUT I do the outdoorsy stuff in Sweden and Finland (I keep the monster at my father-in-law's when I'm not there). Still,it's fun and a great way to escape the 9 to 5 desk job for a couple of weeks (Great fishing too )

"Like dude, I was totally off the grip with my iPhone, iPad. Can you believe the house I stayed at only had one wall socket, and I only got 2 bars on the 3g connection."

"Wow man, you sound deep in the Jungle there"

"Yeah, but I was doing something wothwhile, I was writing a hipster piece on my hipster blog about how to survive in the jungle without being able to charge my phone every night"

"Wow dude, you're so hip"

"Don't say that, you know how much I hate it, hey you wanna see my photos of me and the locals with fake moustaches drawn on our fingers? They're really cool"

Oh, and just to add, so I don't get banned. I did volunteer work in Australia. On a cattle farm in the NT. The only way to get there (in any time reasonable) was by light aircraft. It was 500,000 acres large.

The milky way looked awesome. But trust me, that place was off the grid. Still, the beef was great, as was riding the quad bikes to steer the cattle.

For Solar Charging, at half the cost, that uses rechargeable & user replaceable AA batteries (or AAA if you need/prefer with adapter) for battery pack, I suggest http://www.goalzero.com/small-guide.html

My significant other bought me Goal Zero last Xmas, she knew it was on my list of items, I have been real happy with it so far.

I just ordered a Guide 10 to pair with my Nomad 7... that solar panel kept my phone running through the blackout last Halloween.

The past two years I've been on cycling trips during the summer. Although I didn't stray far from civilization (hard to do in the Netherlands!) that meant no easy access to power. I looked into solar for charging my iPhone, but all I saw were bad reviews. So I doubt that backpack is very useful in practice.

What would be really useful is a tiny little steam turbine with USB out that you can put on your burner after making coffee. Until we get those, the Biolite Campstove is the next best thing.

I have a low-end PowerFilm AA/USB charger that I bought several years ago, they have even better ones now for under $100. It kept my iPhone charged all day while strapped to my rear pannier. It even works in dim light. In bright sunlight it charges the iPhone in couple of hours. The only drawback is that it's not waterproof.

So I drive many miles from my house (in the US) down to the biggest city in the county. I walk down main street past grocery stores and pizza parlors and drug stores and hotels and a Wal-Mart and a freaking 25-bed hospital. But look, no cell bars.

I must be OFF THE GRID!

Bah. Good luck, generation of people who can't be alone with their thoughts for even a second.

Right, sorry, I didn't realise this was an article for the fsking incompetent and pathetic. Want to bet that these are the same people that wouldn't know how to start a chainsaw to clear a deadfall of the road they're currently on? Never mind actually clearing a deadfall without worrying that an unexpected kickback will cut their face in half because they don't know how to actually work a basic power tool.

Sure, I come off harsh. But, I offroad wher only satellites can see me for fun, hike even deeper, and I'm a Construction Safety Officer, so I've seen ALL the power-tool fuckups.

Let me tell you what "off-grid" comms looks like.

You tow a trailer with you to the rigsite. The trailer plugs into the motor room for power, because it eats several kilowatts. You THINK you know satellite internet, but you don't. See, ours uses a satellite UPLINK, requiring a couple of kilowatts to speak to a sat in geosynch.

None of this landline bullshit. There AREN'T any landlines. Cel is limited to that one spot in the curve of the north Petitot where you do the signal dance on the high spot after sacrificing a virgin, and we're shy of virgins. We need reliable commo, so we put our trailer on the north edge of the lease facing south and use that every time we're not roaming.

For dire emergencies, since I'm the medic, I pack an Iridium phone and hope that I've got a line on the sats. Sounds basic until you realise how far north we are. A decent bump in the ground means I need to either climb it or drive sideways.

Oh, and did I mention how to tap forestry's repeater network when you're not forestry? They'll hang your ass from the nearest yardarm, unless it's an emergency. Then you're cool.

I'm betting this all gets a whole lot worse when you're someplace in Africa.

You're not even CLOSE to off-grid useful with this article. Where's the satcomms, the rescue beacons, et al?

OMG! I bet your penis is massive! Can I touch it!?

Maybe you have been off the grid a little too long if you think an Ars Technica article about being off the grid is going to include proper chain saw technique. I am pretty sure the average reader is far more likely to need to get through low band width and low / no power situations than clear a downed tree off the road with only their dick. You probably want a outdooring website, not one that covers new cell phone releases with drooling anticipation.

Maybe you have been off the grid a little too long if you think an Ars Technica article about being off the grid is going to include proper chain saw technique. I am pretty sure the average reader is far more likely to need to get through low band width and low / no power situations than clear a downed tree off the road with only their dick. You probably want a outdooring website, not one that covers new cell phone releases with drooling anticipation.

And I'm pretty sure that if you go with 'what the average reader would need',what's more important/relevant is a tool to calculate the fastest route to the closest Starbucks or Apple Store than an overpiced 4Wh charger for a backpack... But seriously,the rant the other poster made was aimed at the misleading and pointlessly sensationalist title(something which's been a problem as of late with this website),because there's a slight difference between 'the tech you'll need on a trip to park X' than 'tech for going off the grid'. But even if we disregard the title,the article is BS even for a casual weekend trip in nature,because most of the suggestions are C R A P - where are the ruggedized carry cases for the electronics a typical Ars user is bound to carry? Where are the GPS devices any self-respecting hiker will carry?

Btw,speaking of suggestions for 'low bandwith situations'- do you seriously think tips for a VPN service to watch HULU is even remotely useful? Or an inflatable sollar charged pillow?

I'd love to get a sequel to this article, dealing with some more basic stuff. Stuff like how the Spot GPS messenger actually works, who the satcomm providers are, how regular emergency radios are used, various types of long-storage batteries, differences between forward and reverse osmosis water filters, new medical gear that can be used by non-medics, etc. I'll bet most Ars readers would love that kind of in-depth look at actual tools. This article is mostly toys, and feels more like a Wired piece.

My definition "off the grid" lacks not only power grid, but cell phone networks as well. So if there is cell access, it is not really "off grid".

Well, that's cute and all, but that doesn't seem to be what people usually mean by "off the grid". There are people in USA (and elsewhere) living "off the grid", and it means that their homes are not connected to the national power-grid, but they generate their own power.

That's how I do it. No water bill either. Only "utility" bill I pay is net connection.

You're in Germany, aren't you? I'm in Soviet Canuckistan, land of the vast expanse of, umm, vastness. With mountains to fuck up your LOS to the nearest tower Though, I guess you're bordering on some pretty epic rough stuff there, too.

Something to be said for a satellite panic button, no matter where you live.

And now, bed

Assuming ^ was aimed at me Actually,no - Ireland,BUT I do the outdoorsy stuff in Sweden and Finland (I keep the monster at my father-in-law's when I'm not there). Still,it's fun and a great way to escape the 9 to 5 desk job for a couple of weeks (Great fishing too )

Nah that was directed at me. We know each other from EVE Online game. I'm in germany ATM. And not a big lover of outdoors either (I love my intertubes a bit too much for that).

But finding out about equipment and things is always good (well useful survival equipment like spot that was mentioned). This is really more survival at your local starbucks when too many apple lovers show up and it's tough to get a wall socket.

The past two years I've been on cycling trips during the summer. Although I didn't stray far from civilization (hard to do in the Netherlands!) that meant no easy access to power. I looked into solar for charging my iPhone, but all I saw were bad reviews. [...].

(Editor's note: C’mon Amazon! Shouldn’t I be able to send e-books directly to his Kindle?)

Which editor made this suggestion? It seems a bit shocking for a tech site like Ars to suggest a manufacturer allow the ability to remotely install content on someones device (wanted or not).

He is just asking for a way to send his cousin a book directly! Can you think of a way this could be accomplished without requiring "the ability to remotely install content on someones device"? I knew you could!

Nah that was directed at me. We know each other from EVE Online game. I'm in germany ATM. And not a big lover of outdoors either (I love my intertubes a bit too much for that).

But finding out about equipment and things is always good (well useful survival equipment like spot that was mentioned). This is really more survival at your local starbucks when too many apple lovers show up and it's tough to get a wall socket.

Ah,sorry for butting in that one then As for the Startbucks thing.. Not really,because the tips aren't useful for there either XD (aside from that poster mentioning the M1911.. that is useful at an overcrowded starbucks ) . By the way,aside from Grendel's SPOT suggestion,another necessity (often overlooked) is as previously mentioned - a decent survival knife (if you decide to get one for the outdoors - grab a surplus KM2000,KA-BAR or one of the Victorinox survival jobs) and.or an E-tool - I'd go with either a surplus military model or a new Glock Feldspaten.

Off-topic - I'll ignore the whole EVE online bit,because I've barely recovered from that game (though I still wake up in cold sweat from suicide gank-nightmares)

As has already noted by others here the title, as well as the contents, could have done with a bit more cooking and seasoning since the title is WAY off and the content is way too lite. -_-

But, with that out of the way, I'd really be interested in an article that focused more on a tech-based disaster kit that can support someone for 7 days in a situation where there is little to no power. I'd even toss in the added caveat of cellular networks being spotty or unavailable as well 'tho those to replicate what happened during Katrina over in Louisana. This would be WAY more useful and would make up for the lack of real research or testing done for this article beyond "this worked for me" and leaving those of us puzzled by the gaps.

Oh, for those of you talking about the BioLite CampStove should consider that some areas prohibit the use of wood burning stoves especially here in California so be VERY sure before you buy one of these. Nothing worse than spending $150 and having a park ranger cite you later for using one in a prohibited area.

When going off grid in Africa, pack a Thuraya or Iridium Sat phone (with of plenty credit - modern models allow internet access), spare batteries (a solar charger could be useful), a wad of cash in local denomination (small bills), plus a few hundred $USD for emergencies - ie bribing money), a machete, solar flash light, and a guide who speaks the local language. Depending on location, hiring a few guards couldn't hurt. Don't forget your VISA card. No need for hipster gadgets that break.

If you need to get some serious work done, get someone to help you haul a 4 kva generator with a drum or two of fuel to your base camp.

Speaking as someone who has lived all over Africa these past 8 years, there aren't many places you can go that a Landcruiser can't take you, hence no need to go with out the benefits of civilization. Besides, Africa has pretty good cellphone and data coverage these days, many would be surprised. Prepare for the worst, and expect the unexpected. TIA (This is Africa).

Yep, the iridium sat phone was invaluable to me when I did the distant travels thing. Also packed along a solar power gorilla and the gorilla power pack. They're super tough and ruggedized well. A good GPS, the kindle and a small netbook left me pretty much able to get around at will and take shots with the canon day in and day out.

The reason I bought the Solar Gorilla and the Gorilla was so I could charge the devices from the panel and then have the battery pack to top it all up as and when needed without having to wait hours to trickle charge them by sunlight. Works really well. The only nightmare is keeping up with the jazillion tips I had to carry around for all the devices.

Wow - I am glad that Ars has gotten big and I am sure that it's commercial success is a boon to the many folks that Ars is able to support (writers, techies, etc) but the decline in quality is a real drag.

This article - oh where to begin? The formatting & presentation is rough. Why not just have a bulleted list? Seeking out the "Item No X" text scattered in the paragraphs just to know how far one is through the 10 item list seems pretty basic.

The suggestions are scattered over a strange variety of use cases, few of which seem to really relate to living off the grid.

InfoSec is not covered at all. Survival items are sparse and intermixed with goofy stuff like that solar pillow light thingy. What about navigation? What about summoning help?

One note on SPOT (this is well covered on outdoors sites - but I would be remiss if I didn't bring it up here) - there is a big difference between a SPOT and a real emergency beacon. Make sure you know which one you really need. If you are out in the bush and you truly need help, an emergency beacon is the most likely to do the job. SPOT is sort of like extended 911. An emergency beacon, like ACR, will go straight to search and rescue with a higher likelihood of successfully transmitting a signal.

When going off grid in Africa, pack a Thuraya or Iridium Sat phone (with of plenty credit - modern models allow internet access), spare batteries (a solar charger could be useful), a wad of cash in local denomination (small bills), plus a few hundred $USD for emergencies - ie bribing money), a machete, solar flash light, and a guide who speaks the local language. Depending on location, hiring a few guards couldn't hurt. Don't forget your VISA card. No need for hipster gadgets that break.

If you need to get some serious work done, get someone to help you haul a 4 kva generator with a drum or two of fuel to your base camp.

Speaking as someone who has lived all over Africa these past 8 years, there aren't many places you can go that a Landcruiser can't take you, hence no need to go with out the benefits of civilization. Besides, Africa has pretty good cellphone and data coverage these days, many would be surprised. Prepare for the worst, and expect the unexpected. TIA (This is Africa).

Who'd you work for and where? I spent the better part of the last decade in Africa working (mostly) for a number of different NGOs, primarily for MSF and the ICRC doing emergencies oriented work but a few slower paced ones as well.

I love me some Land Cruisers, but there are a lot of populated places where a Land Cruiser can't take you. I used to go on 2-3 week trips into the bush on off road motorcycle convoys in the Congo and have done 2 week clinic runs on foot in Darfur.

That said, there will still be a guy at the end who will sell you beer and AA batteries. Depending on where you're at, every village that you come to, there will be some creative guy who's rigged a car battery or two who'll take your money to charge your phone.

A note regarding Thurayas - even the oldest models could be used as a modem for data transmission. 14.4 kbps and/or 9600 bps, though. I don't think I've ever used it for doing anything other sending/receiving email and small attachments. You're better off with a BGAN if you're packing your own gear and need a faster connection.

bk109 wrote:

But seriously,the rant the other poster made was aimed at the misleading and pointlessly sensationalist title(something which's been a problem as of late with this website),because there's a slight difference between 'the tech you'll need on a trip to park X' than 'tech for going off the grid'. But even if we disregard the title,the article is BS even for a casual weekend trip in nature,because most of the suggestions are C R A P - where are the ruggedized carry cases for the electronics a typical Ars user is bound to carry? Where are the GPS devices any self-respecting hiker will carry?

I used to use a Pelican 1080CC to transport my personal MBP when going into rough - particularly dirty or wet environments. For example, when I was working the Niger/Nigerian border during a simultaneous measles and meningitis outbreak, I only took my personal computer out of the case when I needed to use it. Likewise when I was living on the leaky riverboats for months in the Irrawaddy Delta following Cyclone Nargis.

For the most part, fully ruggedized laptops for most situations are overkill and aren't all that cost effective. The question to ask yourself is if you really have to use your computer during the sandstorm or in the rain? If you're in a situation where it's absolutely mission critical, then yes. Otherwise, either a semi-rugged laptop or a dustproof/waterproof case is enough.

grendelmk1 wrote:

Right, sorry, I didn't realise this was an article for the fsking incompetent and pathetic. Want to bet that these are the same people that wouldn't know how to start a chainsaw to clear a deadfall of the road they're currently on? Never mind actually clearing a deadfall without worrying that an unexpected kickback will cut their face in half because they don't know how to actually work a basic power tool.

Sure, I come off harsh. But, I offroad wher only satellites can see me for fun, hike even deeper, and I'm a Construction Safety Officer, so I've seen ALL the power-tool fuckups.

Let me tell you what "off-grid" comms looks like.

You tow a trailer with you to the rigsite. The trailer plugs into the motor room for power, because it eats several kilowatts. You THINK you know satellite internet, but you don't. See, ours uses a satellite UPLINK, requiring a couple of kilowatts to speak to a sat in geosynch.

None of this landline bullshit. There AREN'T any landlines. Cel is limited to that one spot in the curve of the north Petitot where you do the signal dance on the high spot after sacrificing a virgin, and we're shy of virgins. We need reliable commo, so we put our trailer on the north edge of the lease facing south and use that every time we're not roaming.

For dire emergencies, since I'm the medic, I pack an Iridium phone and hope that I've got a line on the sats. Sounds basic until you realise how far north we are. A decent bump in the ground means I need to either climb it or drive sideways.

Oh, and did I mention how to tap forestry's repeater network when you're not forestry? They'll hang your ass from the nearest yardarm, unless it's an emergency. Then you're cool.

I'm betting this all gets a whole lot worse when you're someplace in Africa.

You're not even CLOSE to off-grid useful with this article. Where's the satcomms, the rescue beacons, et al?

Look at this wannabe joker.

If you want to turn this into a "who is more remote/off grid" dick swinging contest, mine is almost definitely bigger than yours. Personally, I don't shit on other people's different requirements.

At least get your technical details right if you're going to shit on people and call them pathetic. The world has advanced a lot of portable data for when you're out in the bush. The BGAN network works fine for lightweight, man portable "broadband" if you're measuring your usage in tens or hundreds of megabytes. The plastic Hughes units are no heavier and larger than a large laptop and can run off of internal batteries for a few hours. If you need higher speed and more reliability, smaller Ku band VSATs come in portable assemblies that can be mounted on vehicles as small as a Toyota Hilux (I once mounted one on a Land Cruiser Troopie and it only took up half a cubic meter behind the driver's seat.

If you really want to be almost completely self reliant for comms, then you should be thinking about building a radio base and a VHF/UHF network for when your satcomms go down (when shit hits the fan in your region, satphone beams tend to get saturated fast.) Once you have a radio base set up, then you can think about doing packet radio for data. But I get the feeling that's much more than anyone here is interested in doing.

Anyway…

I think the focus of this article was personal sustainment gear for when you're forced to rough it. Cool in concept, but it really depends on the situation. The gear you need when you're off the grid in the Congo is different from when you're off the grid in Haiti or the -Stans. Even within a given country, I will pack and repack my gear to make it most appropriate for the situation and circumstances.

Personally, the best thing that ever happened to me as someone who regularly used to go off the grid was the iPhone.

EDIT: Edited for atrocious grammar and spelling. The woes of making a long post from a mobile browser.

I recomend AGAINST getting a solar panel on every different device. It's expensive, leaves you out of options on a long day when you don't have enough charge, and leads to much more bulk and compromises.

Item #1 is a solar battery (AA & AAAs) charger. Some even have USB input and output, eliminating a second item (AA to USB phone charger). Get one that does Cs, Ds, and 9v only if necessary... more expense and lots of bulk.

Then just get a decent LED flashlight & area light / lantern that runs on AAs or AAAs. There are even 2xAA to D battery converters if you're determined to use a big flashlight / lantern. Harbor Freight is giving away 9-LED 3AAA flashlights which can be pocketed quite nicely, but maglites are a bit better, and an LED light that can convert from spotlight to lantern would be best. Energizer's Carabiner is popular, but I can't vouch for it, and in any case, I recomend a light that runs on larger AA batteries over tiny AAAs.

Instead of a surge protector + USB, I prefer a quad-USB adapter. Skiva's QuadPower can charge up everything from iPads to Android tablets, to dumb and smartphones at full speed simultaneously, while still leaving you a free port to plug in your solar/USB AA/AAA battery charger.

And other items might be much more important than these... Most places, a Sawyer water filter or iodine/chloride tablets comes first. A portable solar shower is often forgotten but should be the top luxury, right after survival gear. In cold climates survival gear #1 would be lugging around at least one canister of propane and a stove, plus a few lighters/matches (butane won't burn below freezing).

Crank-lights suck. The mechaism is prone to break (mine did), and they're noisy and hassle enough that it's common to neglect powering them.

Having visited a number of 3rd world countries, I must agree that the Kindle 3G (Keyboard) has been invaluable. I actually purchased 3 of them. It does allow for quickly checking email, even SMS (via Google Voice). And of course, we find ourselves taking part in the Amazon ecosystem (Prime, Kindle Daily Deals, etc).

Right now, we're living off-grid in Nicaragua. And I do mean off-grid. The only real link we have with the outside world is our 3.5G USB modems. We use a Cradlepoint (the battery operated PSH300) in conjunction with the USB modems. As a technology professional (Sr. Systems Engineer), I need stable internet, so it has been somewhat difficult. With that said, we're solar powered (12 x 200W panels), well water, and septic sewer. We are considering a point-to-point wireless to a line-of-sight house.

I do HIGHLY recommend taking a good flashlight (Fenix E21), and a good knife (Smith & Wesson CK5TBS), you WILL need them. We bought Fenix E21's, and they're invaluable. Additionally, a Leatherman comes in extremely handy. I'm very glad I brought things like my boots (urban combat boots, cowgirl boots for the wife), hats (you just can't find a good hat here, so I brought several leather hats, and some Scala hats), and of course a good leather belt. You'll ache for things like a good screwdriver set and thumbdrive. Maxtech 16521MX for the screwdrivers, and Corsair Flash Voyager (USB3).

I was impressed with some of the other mentions of items, such as the Biolite Stove (I very well may pick one of those up soon).

All in all, I find I'm able to work well off-grid, in a 3rd world country. We're buying a cell phone signal booster (Wilson), and I'm buying Galaxy Nexus phones to replace our aging Touch Pro 2 phones. Some adjustment of expectations is necessary.

(Not of electronic note, I highly recommend quikclot (coagulant agent), paracord (again, something you'll ache for), some tools (you just can't find good ones, a socket set goes a long way), iodine (polar pure), antibiotics (easy to come by in the 3rd world), etc. Stuff you can't get outside the USA or 1st world easily, but that can come in very handy, and lifesaving).